Why 2026 Season is Most Important for Iowa State Football

The Iowa State Cyclones are getting set for the start of the season in just about two weeks, and the outlook for the team is very uncertain right now.

This offseason, the Cyclones were a program that underwent arguably the most changes in all of college football. With the departure of Matt Campbell, it set off a domino effect that resulted in Jimmy Rogers coming over as the new head coach.

Unfortunately for Rogers, he inherited a tough situation and had to work the transfer portal hard to rebuild a roster. Fortunately, the Cyclones were able to add some good talent, but they will undoubtedly be taking a step backward following a lot of success during the Campbell era.

As a new era begins for the program, the 2026 campaign is shaping up to be one of the most important for the school in a long time.

2026 Season Will Be Key

Iowa State football head coach Jimmy Rogers watches the defense warm up during the university’s football open practice at Johnny Majors practice field on August 8, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

With a new regime taking over, it will be unfair to set expectations too high. This was a program that was completely gutted in the transfer portal and is nowhere near as talented.

Rogers is going to be trying to build the program through recruiting, but that can take some time. With Washington State last year, he was in a similar situation and was able to get the best out of the roster.

However, he will be in the Big 12 now, and it is going to be some stiff competition week after week. While winning the conference might not be realistic, it will be important for the Cyclones to be a competitive team.

With the goal being to bring in the best recruits, Iowa State must be able to show these players that there is a plan in place and that they are going to be building something special in the near future.

Winning six or seven games should be the goal, but playing tight games in marquee matchups can go a long way as well. If the Cyclones are able to have a campaign like that, it should be a nice step in the right direction.

However, if the team really struggles, it could have a ripple effect on the program. If Iowa State is suddenly the worst team in the conference, recruiting is going to become a major challenge for the program. With a need to do well in that area, winning games and being competitive in 2026 is going to be important. If they really struggle, it could make things very difficult.

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